The September 20, 2023 meeting of the Economic & Rural Development Policy Committee included a report from Phillip Sanchez, Director of the Alcohol Beverage Control Division of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.
Sanchez said the number of delivery permit applications has not been as high as was expected when the legislation was written, and there are only two currently pending applications after the lapse of many previous delivery permits. Liquor license holders may recall that enabling deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic was the primary reason given by sponsors of HB-255 for updating the Liquor Control Act.
The legislation also enabled restaurants to apply for a “Restaurant B” license for authorization to serve alcohol. Sanchez reported there has been an overall increase of 21 restaurant licenses since the bill was signed; however, of the 697 licenses active on Sept. 12, 2023, some 28 percent (197 total) are now authorized to serve alcohol.
Of particular concern to New Mexico Alcohol Alliance members is the devaluation of dispenser licenses. During the Q&A, Sanchez said recent sales indicate the value of dispenser licenses has decreased $50,000 to $100,000. There was no discussion about the tax credit that aimed to protect liquor license holders from devaluation. If available, metrics related to the tax credit would have to be reported by the Department of Finance.
The New Mexico Alcohol Alliance continues to monitor interim committee meetings for indications of bills that might be filed in the upcoming session.